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Freight Moving Companies

Moving with a freight trailer is quickly becoming a popular “do-it-yourself” option for people moving long distance. Freight moving companies offer the benefits of a rental truck without the hassle of having to drive.

What is a freight moving company?

Freight moving companies drop off a large, 28-foot long trailer at your residence. You can use as much space as you want and then the company will pick up the trailer and deliver it to your new place.

Freight usually costs more than rental trucks, although once you add in fuel and travel costs the pricing can be about the same. It’s about the same cost or slightly less than portable storage container companies.

But whether or not a freight mover is right for your move isn’t just a question of pricing.
You’ll need to consider things like parking access, delivery time frame, access to labor, insurance and more to determine if renting a freight trailer is the best way to move.

Luckily, we put together this freight moving guide to provide all the answers you’ll need to determine if freight is right for you.

How much does a freight moving company cost?

Pricing with freight is simple, you only pay for the space you use in the trailer.

Freight trailers are measured in terms of linear feet. The freight mover will quote you a rate per linear foot for your move. Most companies have a 3 to 4 foot minimum (equivalent to a small one bedroom). Beyond the minimum, you are free to use as much or as little space as you need.

Pricing is on a per foot basis. For example, let’s say you get a quote for 10 linear feet of space for $2,500 total. And the rate per linear foot is $250/foot.

The trailers are 28 feet in length and can hold roughly the same amount as a 26-foot rental truck plus a 10-foot rental truck combined.

Sample Pricing Table

1 bedroom

2 – 3 bedrooms

4 – 5 bedrooms

250 miles

$900 – $1,400

$1,100 – $1,700

$1,800 – $2,700

1,000 miles

$1,300 – $1,800

$1,800 – $2,700

$3,200 – $4,100

2,500 miles

$1,800 – $2,700

$1,900 – $2,900

$4,500 – $5,800

3 insider tips for saving money with freight

We went deep undercover with freight moving insiders and got them to spill the beans on how you can save
money when you use a freight moving company.

Use the terminal

Freight companies will typically give you the option to load and unload your items at what is known as the terminal. Terminals are usually located within a 60 mile radius of urban areas. Loading, unloading or both at the terminal will typically result in a pretty significant price break.

You’ll need to weigh the savings against the added cost of going back and forth to the terminal. A terminal-to-terminal move can make a lot of sense for smaller shipments where a cheap van could be used to shuttle items.

Move mid-month

Leases typically turnover at the end of every month causing spikes in demand on the last few days. Avoid the rush and move in the middle of the month to save money.

Sell, donate, trash items

Freight companies charge a set rate for each foot of space you use in the trailer.
Reducing the amount you’re moving can help reduce cost.

There is typically a 4-5 foot minimum space requirement, so be careful not to reduce beyond this point as it won’t result in any additional savings.

11 extra fees to watch out for

You pay only for the space you use on the trailer but you should be aware of the other potential costs of using a freight mover.

Parking permits

Trailers require roughly 40ft of parking space. Some municipalities require parking permits to park the trailer on the street. Check your city’s website for more details.

Weekend pickup / delivery

Drivers don’t like to work weekends. Most freight companies prefer to operate within Mon-Fri and charge extra for weekend drop offs.

Storage

1 or 2 months of storage is typically available for an additional fee. If you need longer term storage consider using a moving container or delivering to a storage unit.

Additional load & unload days

Need more than 3 days to load or unload? You can purchase additional days as needed on a per day fee basis.

Additional valuation coverage

Freight moving companies offer very basic and limited protection for damage in their base package. Most providers offer options to increase coverage in the event of an accident at an additional cost. Note, damage due to the loading or unloading of items won’t be covered.

Blankets, pads, and straps

Moving blankets, straps and moving pads will need to be purchased separately.

Live load & unload

If you can’t leave an unattended trailer on your street, you may need to coordinate for the driver to stay with the truck during the loading or unloading. The driver is simply staying with the truck, he won’t provide any help loading or unloading.

The first hour or two is usually free and then an hourly rate will apply. New York City and other urban areas typically require live loading.

Truck cleaning fee

Be sure to sweep clean the trailer before final pickup to avoid a cleaning fee.

Weight tickets

Military PPM(DITY) move? You can request weight tickets for an additional fee.

Moving equipment

Hand trucks and dollies are typically available to rent. Prices and availability vary.

Guaranteed delivery

Want your trailer delivered on a certain day at your destination? Most providers are willing to offer guaranteed delivery at an additional cost.

What you get

What’s included with a freight mover?

Every freight company generally offers the same set of services for a freight trailer move.

Keep in mind, there can be small differences between freight companies that add up to big costs.

When getting quotes, ask every freight company the same set of questions and be sure to write down their answers on the estimate paperwork.

How does freight moving work?

A 28′ freight trailer is delivered to your residence and you have up to 3 days to load it.
You can use as much space as you need. Once loaded, a secure bulkhead is installed in the trailer to keep all items tightly locked together.
Your move will be the only household goods shipped in the trailer.
The freight company picks up and delivers the trailer to your new location where you’ll have up to 3 days to unload.

Compare and contrast

Freight moving companies are a popular do-it-yourself option but that doesn’t mean that it’s the best option for your situation.
Compare freight to moving containers, professional movers, and rental trucks to see how they stack up.

Freight vs. professional movers

See how freight compares to professional movers.

Freight

Professional Movers

Delivery

Freight companies tend to have much faster and more reliable delivery windows than movers.